Opposites Attract?

25

A year had passed since Aiah and MJ said their vows under the fairy lights and fireworks, and every single day since then had felt like a dream. If anyone had told Aiah a year ago that marriage would feel like living in a fairytale, she would have rolled her eyes and laughed it off. But now, here she was, in the middle of her own love story—one that was filled with endless sweetness, surprises, and love.

The first few months were pure bliss, but even after that initial honeymoon period, MJ never stopped treating Aiah like the queen of his world. Every day, he made her feel special, in ways big and small, as if he was still wooing her, still working to win her heart.

For instance, Aiah would wake up to post-it notes left on her bedside table, or even stuck on her laptop, that said simple but meaningful things like: *"You're my sunshine today, tomorrow, and always,"* or *"Have the best day, love! Can't wait to see you later!"*

She would always smile at these little notes, her heart swelling as she thought about how MJ took the time every morning to write them before heading to work. Who does that after a year of marriage? Apparently, MJ.

Then there were the flowers. It wasn't just on special occasions, but random Tuesdays or on days when Aiah would be stuck in meetings all day. She would get a text: *"Check the living room, babe."* And there, in the middle of their apartment, would be a bouquet of her favorite flowers, accompanied by a card saying something cheesy like, *"These flowers can't compare to you, but they'll do for now."*

"Hay nako, ano ba 'to!" Aiah would mutter to herself, flushed with happiness, wondering how she got so lucky to have someone like MJ. Every time she thought she couldn't fall any deeper, MJ would pull something like this, and she'd find herself falling even harder.

Even after a long day at work, MJ made it a point to sweep her off her feet with little things. One night, after they had both collapsed on the couch, exhausted, MJ had turned to her and casually asked, "Want to go on a midnight snack date?"

Aiah raised an eyebrow. "Ha? As in now?"

MJ grinned that boyish grin of his and nodded, grabbing the car keys. "Let's go get some fries and ice cream."

And that was how they found themselves at a 24-hour diner at 2 AM, eating fries dipped in chocolate sundae, giggling like teenagers on their first date. It didn't matter that they were married now—MJ treated every date, every moment, like it was something special. And it was.

Their marriage was full of moments like that: late-night food trips, surprise coffee dates, lazy Sundays spent watching Netflix, and spontaneous road trips to the beach just because. It was the kind of marriage any young girl would dream of, the kind Aiah never thought she'd actually experience.

Sometimes, Aiah would just sit back and think to herself, *Grabe, this is my life. This is my husband. How did I get so lucky?*

Of course, it wasn't always smooth sailing. They had their fair share of petty arguments—usually over trivial things like what movie to watch, or how MJ never seemed to remember where he left his keys. But in those moments, MJ never raised his voice. Not once. Even when Aiah would get a little too worked up (especially when she was tired), MJ would just sigh, shake his head, and say with a soft chuckle, "Okay, I'm sorry. Wala akong pakialam who wins this argument, magbati na lang tayo."

It was the most disarming thing. Every. Single. Time. How could she stay mad at him when he was so quick to apologize, even when she was clearly being unreasonable? MJ just had this way of calming the storm, of making her feel like nothing was more important than the peace between them.

And when Aiah would get jealous—something that didn't happen often, but when it did, MJ was always quick to reassure her. Like the time he ran into an old college friend at the mall and they chatted for what felt like too long. Aiah had been quiet the rest of the day, the jealousy gnawing at her, even though she knew it was irrational. But MJ had sensed it immediately.

"Aiah, babe, wala kang dapat ikabahala," he had said softly, taking her hand in his as they sat in the car. "Ikaw lang. Ikaw lang ang mahal ko. Wala nang iba."

MJ had this way of making her feel so secure, so loved, that the jealousy would melt away just as quickly as it came.

The funny thing was, MJ had his jealous moments too—though he'd never admit it. He tried to play it cool, but Aiah could see it in the way his jaw would tense when they'd go out with friends and someone would flirt a little too much with her. There was that one time at a party when one of her old guy friends kept complimenting her dress. Aiah had noticed MJ's clenched fist under the table, the way he was barely paying attention to the conversation anymore.

After that, she stopped going to parties as often. Not because MJ told her to—he never asked her to—but because she didn't like making him feel that way. Besides, her priorities had shifted. Going out and partying didn't seem as fun anymore when she had MJ to come home to.

But even with their occasional petty fights or jealous moments, MJ always made sure Aiah never doubted his love for her. Every single day, he showed her, in small ways and big ways, that she was his everything. And she felt the same way about him.

Aiah thought back to the time they had another argument—over something silly like what to order for takeout—and MJ had stopped mid-argument, walked up to her, and hugged her tightly. "Okay, I'm sorry. Let's not fight. Hindi ko kaya na magka-away tayo. I just want to hold you."

*Pfft. Sino bang matalo sa ganitong argument?* she thought, laughing to herself as she remembered the scene.

And it wasn't just the fights, either. Aiah had never once felt like MJ was anything less than the perfect husband. He treated her like a princess every day. Whether it was holding her hand while they walked, pulling out her chair at dinner, or just the way he looked at her—like she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

There was a time when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror while MJ was staring at her, love clear in his eyes. She had asked him, teasingly, "Babe, bakit mo ko tinititigan?"

And without missing a beat, MJ had replied, "Bakit hindi? You're my favorite view."

Aiah had laughed, feeling flustered but incredibly happy. How could she not when MJ was like this every single day?

There was also the matter of kids—MJ had hinted more than once that he wasn't ready to have children yet. Aiah noticed it in their conversations when he would casually say things like, "I'm so happy it's just the two of us right now," or when he'd joke, "Let's enjoy the quiet before the storm of kids, love." It didn't bother Aiah; she was content too. They were still young, still in love, and there was plenty of time to build a family when they were ready.

In the meantime, she was perfectly happy living in this dream-like marriage, where every day felt like an adventure, a storybook moment where she was the princess and MJ was her prince.

As the year drew to a close, Aiah found herself thinking back on everything—the late-night drives, the flowers, the post-it notes, the little arguments, the heartfelt apologies, and the overwhelming love. She smiled to herself, thinking, *This is it. This is what every young girl dreams of. A perfect marriage, with the perfect man.*

And as she lay in bed that night, with MJ's arm wrapped protectively around her, Aiah closed her eyes, a smile playing on her lips as she whispered to herself, "This is perfect. My life... is perfect."

And in that quiet, peaceful moment, Aiah knew without a doubt that this was the happily-ever-after she had always dreamed of.